Badger Love Stories - 1980s
My most memorable and romantic date at the UW happened in the dead of winter in 1978. I had a date with a very handsome guy I had met at a party a couple of weeks earlier. Jim picked me up at Liz Waters Halls and we headed out in the cold in our down jackets to the Van Vleck building for a movie. "What are we seeing?" I asked. "Casablanca," he replied. All I knew about Casablanca was that it starred Humphrey Bogart and was pretty old. We sat down next to each other in narrow desks in the class room and the black and white film began. Soon after the movie started I heard Jim mumbling to himself. I continued to watch the film, becoming enchanted by the beauty of Ingrid Bergman, the toughness of Humphrey Bogart, the exotic locations and the romantic love story. Soon I heard Jim mumbling yet again. This continued throughout the movie until finally I figured out he was reciting lines from the movie because he knew the movie so well! I heard--- "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." "We'll always have Paris." and "Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time." By the end of the movie I was hooked on Casablanca and I was hooked on Jim. Venturing back out into the dark and cold hand in hand, we ended our evening listening to music and drinking beer at the Memorial Union Ratskeller. He then walked me home to the dorm. Kissing me goodnight in the lobby, he whispered "Here's looking at you, kid."
Jane Klewin Grimm '80
I met the love of my life in my Marketing class in 1979 - he (Mike) had been in my accounting class as well, but I only saw him in the huge lecture hall until we were put in the same study group for our marketing class led by our TA. We worked together and had a lot of fun, which led, eventually to a date in November, where we met at a mutual friend's house party. Mike and I had a lot in common, and we really hit it off. After getting together became a regular thing, he got me through my senior year by forcing me to come to the Memorial Library every night until 12:00, after my crew practice. I often fell asleep on my books, but having a study partner who got me through some of the hardest times of my life was provident.
We went on to spend the next two years together, off and on, but we went our separate ways, and I always regret that. He was truly the love of my life, and I'll never forget his curly mop of hair and engaging smile. He was one of the nicest men I've ever known.
Janet C. (Halvorson) Raphael '80
My husband (Ted, BS 1979) and I (Lynn, BS 1980) met in 1978 when we lived in the same apartment building on Mills Street. Our first official date was dinner and a movie. The movie was The Deer Hunter and dinner was at Rosie's on Regent Street. After seeing all the blood and gore in the movie, we had to postpone our dinner a few hours. Even then, the Italian food covered in red sauce was a little hard to swallow. Our evening ended very nicely, however; the food was great and Rosie's was a very romantic spot. We have been married 27 1/2 years. Our oldest son is now a sophomore at Madison and lives just a block away from Rosie's, which is now closed. We smile when we think of our first date there, but also feel a little sad when we see the boarded up windows and old sign out front.
Lynn (Marquardt) Steiner '80
I was in a bad accident in January 1983, and with both hands in casts/wraps and my face with stitches, I wasn't feeling so great. My roommate took me to a party to get my mind off of the events. Brent was there with his then girlfriend. I was sitting in a chair when we were introduced. That wonderful guy sat right down on my lap and asked me to marry him. And I did ... June 24, 1989!
Christine Lillesand '81, '85, MS'94
Madison
I met my future husband in 1982 while visiting my sister in Adams. (He was visiting her roommate who was dating his friend from Witte. Now there is a big circle...) John had just transferred to work at Carson Gulley where I worked. I was intrigued, and so a few weeks later he was invited to attend a Screw-Your-Roommate Dance as my date. (Our floor bent the rules, and we told our floormates who we were interested in!). Prior to the dance, he invited me to attend a Badger Hockey playoff game, my first hockey experience. We continued dating, got married in 1985, and the rest is history! We are still hockey fans and have attended hockey games regularly for the last 10 years or so. Go Badgers!
Maureen McGowan Jepsen '83, 1985 and John Jepsen 1984
My wife (Debra Malzewski Gladish '82) and I actually met in December 1981, although I did not know it. Debra is an Alpha Xi Delta and I am a Sig Ep. Her sorority came to our fraternity house to sing Christmas carols. Debbie was dressed as Santa Claus. At each house Santa picked someone to sit on his lap and tell him what he wanted for Christmas. Debbie picked me to sit on her lap. Unfortunately, I kept giving the wrong answer and I did not realize that I was to tell Santa that I wanted an Alpha Xi Delta for Christmas.
In the fall of 1982, we finally met in World Geography when Debbie and another sorority sister decided to sit where I was sitting with two of my fraternity brothers. We began hanging out as a group going to the KK and the Plaza. We were invited to her sorority house for dinner several times that fall. I finally decided to ask her to our Sig Ep date party which was a Rouring 20's theme. We had a great time and began dating which lead to going to her Christmas formal. It is hard to believe that we have been married 20 years and have known each other for almost 26 years.
Brett Gladish '84
To this day, I am always so proud to share the story of how my husband Jim and I met. It all started in August of 1981 the day we moved into Witte B, Beale House. There was a floor meet and greet that first day and there he was. Who was that guy with the Grateful Dead hat on? After living in the dorm freshman year, Jim and I became good friends and though our college years and beyond maintained a close friendship. Two years into knowing each other, Jim put the moves on me and I rebuffed not wanting to ruin a great friendship. Well, fast forward 8 years later. Jim was living in Texas and I was living in Milwaukee. The extended Madison friend circle was coming together from all corners of the US for a concert at Alpine Valley. Jim flew in and I picked him up at the airport my friend, and dropped him off 4 days later as my boyfriend. After a 8 month long distance courtship were married and 19 years later we are still having a great time together. When we were married, we had 2 guests at or wedding (yes, just 2!). Both are Mad grads, one having lived on the dorm floor with us that first year! We are both so thankful for our time in Madison. We share so many of the same memories of great times spent at the Union, on State street and of course, at the Pub! When we return to visit, we do so with equal enthusiasm and joy. Thank-you UW-Madison for our education, our friends, and for each other, we could not have asked for anything better.
Marty Kueng Gasner '85 and Jim Gasner '86
Freshman Year, I had a pre-calc class with this gorgeous-looking soccer player. He was getting D's and for me it was an easy A. On day after class he asked me to come over to his apartment (yippee!) to help him study for the Midterm exam. Unfortunately, that was all we did. I knew it was over before it even started when the following week I saw him walking down Langdon with the beautiful, long blond haired, perfect bodied, blue-blooded "Katie the Kappa". Sixteen years later I married the man of my dreams who also struggled in pre-calc. Destiny.
Laura Murphy '87, JD'93, MBA'93
As a sophmore at UW, I had spent most of my summer in France, Spain and England, and met a woman from a dairy region in Italy who was in Madison studying dairy science. Her spoken English was not great, but her French was excellent; I knew no Italian at all but understood spoken French -- so she would speak to me in French, and I'd reply in English. One night we went out for dinner, bought a bottle of wine and went down to the Hoofers boat docs. We dangled our feet in the water and drank our bottle of wine. It was a warm late summer night in August, just at the beginning of the semester, and before long we decided to go for a dip. We kept our underwear on but had a refreshing and very romantic dip in the lake. Our relationship was full of cultural and international intrigue, but I knew it was time to end it when I found myself intentionally using English words which I knew she wouldn't understand.
Jordan Graham '88
I spent the summer after my sophomore year in Madison (1987), taking a class and working at the Fess restaurant (now the Great Dane Brewery). I can remember the moment I fell for Peter, while setting a table before dinner service. However, it was not to be, because I had a boyfriend at the time. We continued our flirtatious friendship during the remaining undergraduate years, and I always regretted not being able to date him. A few years after graduation, I tried calling him but couldn't find his number. Then, in 1994, a week before I was set to move out of my apartment, he called me out of the blue and asked if I remembered him and I said, "Of course I remember you, I had the biggest crush on you!" The rest is history. We were married in 1996, have three great children, and are living in Minneapolis. On Wisconsin!
Julie Cureton Durand '89
Jane Klewin Grimm '80
I met the love of my life in my Marketing class in 1979 - he (Mike) had been in my accounting class as well, but I only saw him in the huge lecture hall until we were put in the same study group for our marketing class led by our TA. We worked together and had a lot of fun, which led, eventually to a date in November, where we met at a mutual friend's house party. Mike and I had a lot in common, and we really hit it off. After getting together became a regular thing, he got me through my senior year by forcing me to come to the Memorial Library every night until 12:00, after my crew practice. I often fell asleep on my books, but having a study partner who got me through some of the hardest times of my life was provident.
We went on to spend the next two years together, off and on, but we went our separate ways, and I always regret that. He was truly the love of my life, and I'll never forget his curly mop of hair and engaging smile. He was one of the nicest men I've ever known.
Janet C. (Halvorson) Raphael '80
My husband (Ted, BS 1979) and I (Lynn, BS 1980) met in 1978 when we lived in the same apartment building on Mills Street. Our first official date was dinner and a movie. The movie was The Deer Hunter and dinner was at Rosie's on Regent Street. After seeing all the blood and gore in the movie, we had to postpone our dinner a few hours. Even then, the Italian food covered in red sauce was a little hard to swallow. Our evening ended very nicely, however; the food was great and Rosie's was a very romantic spot. We have been married 27 1/2 years. Our oldest son is now a sophomore at Madison and lives just a block away from Rosie's, which is now closed. We smile when we think of our first date there, but also feel a little sad when we see the boarded up windows and old sign out front.
Lynn (Marquardt) Steiner '80
I was in a bad accident in January 1983, and with both hands in casts/wraps and my face with stitches, I wasn't feeling so great. My roommate took me to a party to get my mind off of the events. Brent was there with his then girlfriend. I was sitting in a chair when we were introduced. That wonderful guy sat right down on my lap and asked me to marry him. And I did ... June 24, 1989!
Christine Lillesand '81, '85, MS'94
Madison
I met my future husband in 1982 while visiting my sister in Adams. (He was visiting her roommate who was dating his friend from Witte. Now there is a big circle...) John had just transferred to work at Carson Gulley where I worked. I was intrigued, and so a few weeks later he was invited to attend a Screw-Your-Roommate Dance as my date. (Our floor bent the rules, and we told our floormates who we were interested in!). Prior to the dance, he invited me to attend a Badger Hockey playoff game, my first hockey experience. We continued dating, got married in 1985, and the rest is history! We are still hockey fans and have attended hockey games regularly for the last 10 years or so. Go Badgers!
Maureen McGowan Jepsen '83, 1985 and John Jepsen 1984
My wife (Debra Malzewski Gladish '82) and I actually met in December 1981, although I did not know it. Debra is an Alpha Xi Delta and I am a Sig Ep. Her sorority came to our fraternity house to sing Christmas carols. Debbie was dressed as Santa Claus. At each house Santa picked someone to sit on his lap and tell him what he wanted for Christmas. Debbie picked me to sit on her lap. Unfortunately, I kept giving the wrong answer and I did not realize that I was to tell Santa that I wanted an Alpha Xi Delta for Christmas.
In the fall of 1982, we finally met in World Geography when Debbie and another sorority sister decided to sit where I was sitting with two of my fraternity brothers. We began hanging out as a group going to the KK and the Plaza. We were invited to her sorority house for dinner several times that fall. I finally decided to ask her to our Sig Ep date party which was a Rouring 20's theme. We had a great time and began dating which lead to going to her Christmas formal. It is hard to believe that we have been married 20 years and have known each other for almost 26 years.
Brett Gladish '84
To this day, I am always so proud to share the story of how my husband Jim and I met. It all started in August of 1981 the day we moved into Witte B, Beale House. There was a floor meet and greet that first day and there he was. Who was that guy with the Grateful Dead hat on? After living in the dorm freshman year, Jim and I became good friends and though our college years and beyond maintained a close friendship. Two years into knowing each other, Jim put the moves on me and I rebuffed not wanting to ruin a great friendship. Well, fast forward 8 years later. Jim was living in Texas and I was living in Milwaukee. The extended Madison friend circle was coming together from all corners of the US for a concert at Alpine Valley. Jim flew in and I picked him up at the airport my friend, and dropped him off 4 days later as my boyfriend. After a 8 month long distance courtship were married and 19 years later we are still having a great time together. When we were married, we had 2 guests at or wedding (yes, just 2!). Both are Mad grads, one having lived on the dorm floor with us that first year! We are both so thankful for our time in Madison. We share so many of the same memories of great times spent at the Union, on State street and of course, at the Pub! When we return to visit, we do so with equal enthusiasm and joy. Thank-you UW-Madison for our education, our friends, and for each other, we could not have asked for anything better.
Marty Kueng Gasner '85 and Jim Gasner '86
Freshman Year, I had a pre-calc class with this gorgeous-looking soccer player. He was getting D's and for me it was an easy A. On day after class he asked me to come over to his apartment (yippee!) to help him study for the Midterm exam. Unfortunately, that was all we did. I knew it was over before it even started when the following week I saw him walking down Langdon with the beautiful, long blond haired, perfect bodied, blue-blooded "Katie the Kappa". Sixteen years later I married the man of my dreams who also struggled in pre-calc. Destiny.
Laura Murphy '87, JD'93, MBA'93
As a sophmore at UW, I had spent most of my summer in France, Spain and England, and met a woman from a dairy region in Italy who was in Madison studying dairy science. Her spoken English was not great, but her French was excellent; I knew no Italian at all but understood spoken French -- so she would speak to me in French, and I'd reply in English. One night we went out for dinner, bought a bottle of wine and went down to the Hoofers boat docs. We dangled our feet in the water and drank our bottle of wine. It was a warm late summer night in August, just at the beginning of the semester, and before long we decided to go for a dip. We kept our underwear on but had a refreshing and very romantic dip in the lake. Our relationship was full of cultural and international intrigue, but I knew it was time to end it when I found myself intentionally using English words which I knew she wouldn't understand.
Jordan Graham '88
I spent the summer after my sophomore year in Madison (1987), taking a class and working at the Fess restaurant (now the Great Dane Brewery). I can remember the moment I fell for Peter, while setting a table before dinner service. However, it was not to be, because I had a boyfriend at the time. We continued our flirtatious friendship during the remaining undergraduate years, and I always regretted not being able to date him. A few years after graduation, I tried calling him but couldn't find his number. Then, in 1994, a week before I was set to move out of my apartment, he called me out of the blue and asked if I remembered him and I said, "Of course I remember you, I had the biggest crush on you!" The rest is history. We were married in 1996, have three great children, and are living in Minneapolis. On Wisconsin!
Julie Cureton Durand '89
Events
- UW Football viewing - Leinie's Promotion weeks - September 6
- Online Course: French and Francophone Women Writers - September 8
- Enrichment Course: Dante's Purgatory - September 8
- Brewers Game! - September 8
